Devices for introducing plant growth stimulants, particularly fertilizers

ABSTRACT

A device for introducing substances, such as fertilizers in the soil includes a wheeled frame supporting a dispenser with a soil penetrating tube and a soil working member that subsequently agitates the soil to prevent the substances from escaping the soil.

EJited States Patent van der Lely et al.

[ Feb. 12, 1974 DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING PLANT GROWTH STIMULANTS,PARTICULARLY F ERTILIZERS Inventors: Ary van der Lely, 1O Weverskade,

Maasland; Cornelis Johannes Gerardus Born, 36 Esdoornlaan, Rozenburg,both of Netherlands [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 224,592

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 134, Jan. 2,1970, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl... Ill/7, 172/112 [51] Int. Cl. A01c 23/02 [58] Field ofSearch..... 172/112, 117; 111/1, 67, 85

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,347,188 10/1967 Richey111/10 3,110,275 11/1963 Bonney 111/1 X 3,170,421 2/1965 Norris etal.... 111/7 X 3,437,061 4/1969 Wells 111/1 2,473,770 6/1949 Seaman172/117 X 3,194,193 7/1965 Walters 172/112 X 3,224,347 12/1965 Seaman172/1 12 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,094,681 12/1967 GreatBritain 172/1 12 Primary Examiner-Stephen C. Pellegrino Attorney, Agent,or FirmMas0n, Mason & Albright [5 7 ABSTRACT A device for introducingsubstances, such as fertilizers in the-soil includes a wheeled framesupporting a dispenser with a soil penetrating tube and a soil workingmember that subsequently agitates the soil to prevent the substancesfrom escaping the soil.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING PLANT GROWTHSTIMULANTS, PARTICULARLY FERTILIZERS This is a divisional of applicationSer. No. 134 filed Jan. 2, 1970, now abandoned.

These known devices have, as is known, the disadvantage that thesubstance introduced into the soil may partly escape so that undesirablelosses are involved. By means of the construction according to theinvention these unwanted losses are completely avoided or minimized.

According to the invention this is achieved by providing along with themembers introducing the substance into the soil a mechanically driven,rotatable soil cultivating member. In this manner the substance can beintroduced into the soil so that escape of the substance, evaporation orthe like are not at all or substantially not possible.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same maybe carried into effect, reference is made by way of example to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of a device inaccordance with the invention,

FIG. 3A is a plan view in section of the hood and grating construction,

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a third embodiment of a device inaccordance with the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a fourth embodiment of a device inaccordance with the invention.

The device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a frame having a frame beam1 extending transversely of the intended direction of travel and havingfastened to its ends vertical, rearwardly inclined plates 2 and 3. Nearthe lower ends of the plates 2 and 3 a shaft 4, extending transverselyof the intended direction of travel and parallel to the frame beam 1 isarranged by means of bearings between the plates. The shaft 4 isprovided at regular intervals with working members 5. Between the plates2 and 3, approximately near their centres, an angle-section iron 6extends parallel to the frame beam. The angle-section iron has arrangedon it a rotary shaft 4 between the plates 2 and 3 and with a hood 7,surrounding at least partly the working members 5 arranged on saidshaft. The hood 7, which extends from the angle-section iron to thefront in downward direction, is concentrical to the shaft 4 andsurrounds said shaft over an angle of less than 90. On the rear sideequidistant spring rods 8 are provided on the anglesection iron so as tobe at least substantially concentrical to the shaft 4, which rods 8 forma grating. Between the plates 2 and 3 a screening hood 9 is pivotallyarranged above the rods 8. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 that the hood9 extends so that in operation the lower end bears by a portion 10 onthe worked strip of soil. By means of a chain 11 the hood 9 can be setin a plu rality of positions in a direction of height and be fixedtherein. The frame beam 1 is provided near its centre with a gear box12. The gear box 12 accommodates the end of a shaft extending parallelto the frame beam 1 and coupled with the rotary shaft 4 via atransmission accommodated in a casing 14. By means of a shaft 15,extending in the direction of travel and located in the gear box adriving link can be established through an auxiliary shaft with thepower take-off shaft of a tractor or the like propelling the device. Theframe beam 1 is furthermore provided with means for attaching the deviceto the three-point lifting device of the tractor. On the rear side ofthe casing 14 a tubular guide 17 is arranged by means of two spacedsupports 16, in which guide 17 a screw spindle 18 can co-operate with ascrew-threaded end of a pipe 19 projecting from the lower end of thetubular guide. The pipe 19 is provided at its end remote from thetubular guide 17 with a forkshaped part 20. Between the prongs of thefork-shaped part 20, near the end, an axle 21 is arranged, about which aground wheel 22 is adapted to rotate. Between the plates 2 and 3, infront of the frame beam a support 23 is arranged parallel to said beam.At regular intervals the support 23 is provided with four cultivatortines 24, which are provided on the rear side with an injection tube 25,which together with a tine 24 forms a feeding member 27, whichcommunicates through a flexible hose 30 with a distributor 31, which isconnected by a flexible hose 38 with a tank on the tractor containing afertilizer such as liquid ammonia. The screening hood 9 is provided nearthe rear side with guides 28 forced by embossed parts and arranged sothat a guide member 28 is found behind each feeding member 27. Eachguide member 28 extends in funnel fashion from front to rear.

The device specified above operates as follows:

In operation the working members 5 of the device, attached to a tractor,can be driven by the power takeoff shaft via the gear box 12 and thetransmission in the casing 14 so that they move across the-soil in thedirection of the arrow B. The soil thrown up by the working memberspasses along the hood 7 onto the rods 8, whilst lumps and the like areguided into the furrow made by the working'members, whereas the loosesoil passes across the grating formed by the rods and covers thematerial introduced into the furrow. The feeding members 27 at the frontof the device for introducing the plant growth stimulants, particularlyfertilizers, such as liquid ammonia into the soil, make furrows duringthe movement, in which the ammonia is received as a gas-liquid mixturefrom the injection tubes 25. The

soil thrown by the working members 5 and passing in between the rods 8is guided along the inner side of the screening hood 9 and thefunnel-shaped guide member 28 provided behind each feeding member sothat this soil is deposited in the form of a small dam on the furrowmade by a feeding member 27, so that the furrow is rapidly andthoroughly closed, it being avoided that the substance introduced intothe furrow should disappear by evaporation.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 equidistant injection tubes 29 areprovided for the supply of the plant growth stimulants, in this examplealso ammonia, delivered from a tank (not shown) partly in the form of agas and partly in the form of a liquid. The tubes 29 are arranged nearthe rear side of the screening hood 9. The tubes 29 form feedingmembers, which communicate each by a hose 30 with a distributor 31. Thedistributor 31, arranged on the screening hood 9, communicates through aduct 32 with a tank (not shown). Each injection tube 29 is bent over tothe rear at its lower end by a portion 33, which extends substantiallyin a horizontal direction, so that the introduction is improved. Theends of the injection tubes 29 projecting above the hood 9, which arepassed through it and are fastened thereto are connected with the hose30. In the construction shown in FIG. 3 the injection tubes 29 introducethe substance directly into the loose layer of the soil passed throughthe rods 8, whilst the rear end of the hood 9 smoothes the ground to aclosed surface so that losses dueto evaporation and the like do notoccur, and a uniform distribution can be ensured.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a frame 34, which can be coupled witha tractor, is provided with four equidistant feeding members of the samestructure as the feeding members 27 of the first embodiment. Each of theinjection tubes 25 communicates through a flexible hose 35 with adistributor 36, which communicates through a duct 37 with a container37A which may contain liquid ammonia. Behind the feeding members 27 ahorizontal shaft, extending transversely of the direction of movement isarranged by means of supports 38, which shaft 39 can be driven via atransmission in a casing 40 and a gear box 41 by the power takeoff shaftof the tractor. Behind each feeding member 27 the shaft 39 has fastenedto it a group of working members 42, which close in operation the furrowmade by the feeding members, so that the substance introduced into thefurrows is prevented from escaping by evaporation. In the constructionof the embodiment shown in FIG. vertical shafts 44 are arranged behindeach feeding member 27, said shafts being in driving connection with theshaft 39 via gear boxes 43. The shaft 39 can be driven via the gear box41 and a transmission in a casing 45 from the power take-off shaft of atractor. Each shaft 44 holds a number of working members 46 forming onegroup. Also in this construction each furrow is closed effectively bymeans of the mechanically driven working members 46.

We claim:

1. An agricultural attachment device for introducing plant stimulantsinto soil comprising a movable frame, and a stimulant dispensersupported on said frame, said dispenser comprising a plurality of soilpenetrating injecting tubes that extend below said frame into the groundto dispense said stimulants, rotatable cultivating tool means beingmounted on said frame to work the soil in front of said injecting tubesand driving means for operating said cultivating tool means, saidcultivating tool means comprising a plurality of soil working membersrotatable about a substantially horizontal shaft and said shaftextending transversely of the direction of travel of said device, acurved screening hood on said attachment positioned above said soilworking members, the front of said hood being connected to said frameand the rear portion of said hood extending rearwardly and downwardly tocontact the ground said injecting tubesbeing passed through the rearportion of said screening hood and said tubes being secured to said hoodand extending below same into the loose soil worked by said tool means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of said injectingtubes are bent up to the rear to terminate in a substantially horizontaldirection below the rear portion of said hood which contacts the ground.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said soil working members aredriven to move through the ground in a direction counter to the movementof said device whereby soil is thrown upwardly above said soil workingmembers.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the injecting tubes arearranged side by side in a transverse row.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a grating is supported onsaid frame above said working members and below said screening hood toseparate coarse parts from soil thrown upwardly'and rearwardly by saidsoil working members.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screening hood extendssubstantially across the entire width of the device.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispenser is secured tosaid hood.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the front of said screeninghood is pivotally connected to said frame and lifting means is securedto the hood to the rear of said front, whereby the height of theinjecting tubes can be regulated by pivoting said hood upwardly aboutthe pivot connection.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ground wheel is mounted onsaid frame to the rear of said tool means and said ground wheel supportssaid device through an adjustable connection whereby the working depthof said tool means can be controlled by adjusting said connection.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame has couplingmeans for connecting said device to a three point lift of a tractor.

1. An agricultural attachment device for introducing plant stimulantsinto soil comprising a movable frame, and a stimulant dispensersupported on said frame, said dispenser comprising a plurality of soilpenetrating injecting tubes that extend below said frame into the groundto dispense said stimulants, rotatable cultivating tool means beingmounted on said frame to work the soil in front of said injecting tubesand driving means for operating said cultivating tool means, saidcultivating tool means comprising a plurality of soil working membersrotatable about a substantially horizontal shaft and said shaftextending transversely of the direction of travel of said device, acurved screening hood on said attachment positioned above said soilworking members, the front of said hood being connected to said frameand the rear portion of said hood extending rearwardly and downwardly tocontact the ground said injecting tubes being passed through the rearportion of said screening hood and said tubes being secured to said hoodand extending below same into the loose soil worked by said tool means.2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of said injectingtubes are bent up to the rear to terminate in a substantially horizontaldirection below the rear portion of said hood which contacts the ground.3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said soil working members aredriven to move through the ground in a direction counter to the movementof said device whereby soil is thrown upwardly above said soil workingmembers.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the injecting tubesare arranged side by side in a transverse row.
 5. A device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a grating is supported on said frame above said workingmembers and below said screening hood to separate coarse parts from soilthrown upwardly and rearwardly by said soil working members.
 6. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein said screening hood extends substantiallyacross the entire width of the device.
 7. A device as claimed in claim1, wherein said dispenser is secured to said hood.
 8. A device asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the front of said screening hood ispivotally connected to said frame and lifting means is secured to thehood to the rear of said front, whereby the height of the injectingtubes can be regulated by pivoting said hood Upwardly about the pivotconnection.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ground wheel ismounted on said frame to the rear of said tool means and said groundwheel supports said device through an adjustable connection whereby theworking depth of said tool means can be controlled by adjusting saidconnection.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame hascoupling means for connecting said device to a three point lift of atractor.